I'll Cover You
by Ephemeral Sonata
Summary: New Directions, fresh from performing Rocky Horror, is now taking on RENT. It's a journey of self-discovery for many of the Gleeks. Only confirmed pairing right now is PuckKurt. Other pairings:  Brittana, Faberry, Tike, Arcedes, and maybe some Sinn.
1. The Cast

I won't go into much detail about this right now, just know that I wanted to write an actual plot based story. Le Gasp! I don't own anything in this story. At All. Period. I am making no money off of this, and any similarities between the characters in this fic and other people, alive or dead, is completely unintentional.

...

"Wait." Rachel scoffed. "Did we learn nothing from Rocky Horror?" This was a bit much, she was all for pushing the envelope, but with such controversial issues, it was going to be Rocky all over again. "I mean, I love RENT as much as the next girl, but won't Coach Sylvester try to interfere...again?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Sylvester tries to ruin us all the time. Besides, where Rocky Horror was risque, RENT is poignant. She has no grounds really."

Mr. Schuester nodded. Rocky Horror had been a fiasco, and while it pained him to admit it, Sue was right about it not being appropriate. RENT had its moments, but those were easily solved. Its message was important too. "Kurt's right, RENT is about a group of friends in New York struggling with tough issues like AIDS, homosexuality, drug use and the like. It's a message that needs to get out."

The teacher stood from his stool and clapped his hands. "Now, I'll be divvying up the roles. I want to challenge everyone, so the role you get may not be what you consider to be your forte, but I want to make this into a journey of self-discovery." Most of the club members groaned, either inwardly or outwardly. "Now, not everyone will get a major part to themselves. I still want everyone to do their best."

Artie sighed, "I won't get a major part, will I?" Mr. Schuester glanced at the wheelchair-ridden boy. "No, however, I do want you as a major part of the ensemble. You'll have a solo for sure in Will I." It was an important scene, and knowing Artie, he'd make the scene extremely emotional. "Also, I want to open the show with a song, kind of a 'Calm Everyone Down' to settle the audience in." The older man smiled, "Would you be willing to sing a solo?" It wasn't a stellar trade-off, and he felt bad for short changing the boy, but hopefully he could do right by giving him the solo.

Artie considered it, it wasn't too bad a deal. He didn't get very many solos, and besides, it was a school musical. It wasn't the end of the world if he wasn't in the spotlight. "Alright, what song would you like me to sing?"

"Something relevant to the plot. I want you to pick out your song, you know your voice best." Mr. Schue smiled before looking back to the rest of the teens. "Kurt, would you object to playing Angel?"

The countertenor's eyes widened, "Why that role?"

"You're the most comfortable in heels?" Puck offered.

"You have a high voice?" Finn added.

"Both are valid reasons, but not correct." Will shook his head. "Kurt, tell me. What statistic, though it's changing, is most quoted when describing the dangers of homosexuality."

The brunet's eyes slipped toward the ground, unwilling to answer. Kurt himself thought that fear was not a good look on him, and the subject was a touchy one for him. His father had discussed this with him, and while he appreciated that he was looking out for him, it was still an uncomfortable subject.

When Kurt didn't answer, it was Rachel who did. "AIDS." The word was whispered, as if it were a filthy word, one not to be spoken. "My fathers constantly talk about when they were younger, how scary that was." She said no more, as though that summed up the entire train of thought.

Will nodded, "It's a difficult subject, and I needed someone who I believed could portray the character well, especially when dealing with that subject."

"Alright, fair enough." Kurt's eyes were rimmed with red, and Mercedes wrapped an arm around the boy, squeezing him tight around the shoulders.

"Quinn." The Cheerio's head whipped toward Will, hazel eyes wide. "I want you to play Joanne. Mercedes, you'll be the understudy." The two girls looked at each other, bewildered. Quinn gulped, "Mr. Schue, who's going to be Maureen?"

"Tina." The gothic girl looked even more shocked than Quinn. "Santana will understudy."

"Mr. S," Santana's smooth voice interjected, "Why is it that me and Wheezy get the understudy parts?"

"We're doing four shows, I suppose understudy is the wrong term. More or less, two nights Maureen will be Tina, two nights, Santana. Same with Joanne."

The latina nodded her head, placated by the explanation.

"As for Mimi, I think Brittany and Rachel will play her."

"What?"

"Isn't Mimi an ostrich?"

"Okay, I expected that." Will laughed. "Rachel, I believe there is a layer in you that you don't let out very often. We saw it way back when you guys did Push It. I think playing a sexy character will help your confidence in your appearance." The argyle-clad girl blushed, remember vividly what he was referring to. She had not-so-subtly appeared to be pleasuring Finn. Sam was the only person who looked totally confused.

Mike leaned over and whispered to the blond that the video was still on Jacob Ben Israel's blog. Sam nodded and made a mental note to go look it up.

"As for casting Brittany, we've still yet to really hear her. The most we got was in the Time Warp and Toxic." The curly haired man smiled broadly, "I think this will be an interesting way to see what she can do."

Brittany linked her pinky with Santana and smiled. "San already knows what I can do."

The rest of the group stared at her for a moment, Puck smirking, and then ignored the pair. Finn tapped his foot nervously, "So that's all the girls' roles, what about us?"

"Mark." Will tapped his chin, "Finn and Mike will play Mark." The two jocks high fived, smiling, content with their combined role.

"Roger will be played by Sam." Sam looked a little at a loss for words, quickly looking toward Quinn, who nodded encouragingly.

Puck felt that slight sinking feeling, especially after Finn, Rachel, Quinn, Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt all glanced at him, eyes slightly full of alarm. "What role is left?"

"Collins." That didn't sound too bad. "He's Angel's lover..." Puck face drained of color, before he sputtered indignantly. Will quickly reasoned, "You're a very talented person, but I want you to see life from a different side." The director's eyes flashed, "A lot of people in here are guilty of bigotry, and that is the second half of the reason behind this choice. I want you to at least become acquainted with not only your characters, but what they represent."

With a final clap of the hands, and a dazzling smile, Mr. Schuester merely said. "Let's get to work."

Riiiiiiiight.

...

This bunny bit me hard...like really hard. I don't know exactly where the pairings will go, just know that very few, if any, will be canon. Do not use the characters they are playing as a guide because I am not certain that's where I want it to go either. Please leave a review, or constructive criticism. Flames will be used for a weenie roast.


	2. Today For You

Wow. I love that so far people are enjoying this. It feels really good. I opened up the page and my jaw hit the floor, so that was a very nice start to my morning. I hope you continue enjoying this story, Ciao!

…

Everyone had paired off to work on their roles. Almost everyone looked satisfied, well sort of. Will didn't miss the slight look of dread on Puck's face, or how shell-shocked Rachel looked, or even how uninterested Santana looked. Artie just looked puzzled. Mr. Schue motioned for the four to come up to him. Rachel bounded down off of the risers and, with a grimace, ground out, "I don't think I'm comfortable with playing Mimi."

That had been expected. Mimi's part was way over the top, and while Rachel adored the spotlight, she wasn't the same over the top. Will leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. He glanced over at Santana, who was tapping her foot. She quirked an eyebrow, "I have no issues kissing girls, but I don't want to kiss Baby Mama or Wheezy..."

Will sighed, "Alright, let's see." He tapped his chin, searching for a simple solution. Maureen had some very sultry moments, and it would fulfill about the same objective as casting her as Mimi. Santana would bring Mimi to life better than Rachel anyhow. "I don't know why this didn't occur to me sooner." He pulled the scripts out of each girl's hands and swapped them. "Would this work better for you two?"

Both girls nodded and went over to their new counterparts, Santana plopping down next to Brittany, and Rachel placing herself delicately next to Tina. Will turned to Artie, "Something the matter?"

Artie's face didn't move from the puzzled stare as he spoke, "We're missing a character."

Will wracked his brain, searching the list of characters. Angel, Collins, Maureen, Joanne, Mimi, Mark, Roger..."Benny!" He whipped around and smiled at Artie. "Would you like to play him?"

The boy in the wheelchair smiled widely, before looking confused again. "Won't it be weird to have him in a wheelchair?"

"There's nothing in the script that says he can't be."

Artie nodded and rolled away, reading over the part. That just left Puck, and Will was certain he already knew what the issue was. "Look Puck, I know you're uncomfortable with playing Collins, but I really think you would play him best. I'm not asking you to become Kurt's actual boyfriend, or even to be close with him."

Puck opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about. Well, not exactly." He folded his arms across his chest self-consciously, an odd look for the usually arrogant teen. "I want to be able to do this well, and I don't know how to act the part."

Will chuckled, "Puck, there's nothing to think about. Read the script, and interpret the character as you see fit. Kurt will probably give some advice as well." He patted the teen's shoulder. "You'll do fine."

Puck didn't look as confident, but he turned around and went back up to sit with Kurt.

…

"So what am I trying to convey here?"

"Ugh, we've been over this. Collins and Angel love each other, and this song is basically expressing that though they may not have much, they have each other." Exasperation was practically rolling off of Kurt. He sighed, "Look, I know you aren't fully comfortable with singing a love song with me, but for the sake of the show, please?"

"How many times do I have to say it's not you I'm having trouble with." Puck was just as frustrated as Kurt. It wasn't that he had to sing this as though he were in love with a guy. It was the fact he had to sing this as though he were in love, period. Puck was well aware of his reputation as a player, and it wasn't undeserved.

Kurt gave him a flat look, but said nothing else. "Well, I don't think there's much we can go over with this scene yet. Why don't we go over Today For You?" He stood up and cued the musicians. He motioned for Puck to sing off the page.

Puck raised an eyebrow, not really knowing the tune well, but willing to give it a try if it postponed I'll Cover You. He turned to Mike and Sam who were behind him.

"_Gentlemen, our benefactor on this Christmas Day,_

_Whose charity is only matched by talent I must say._

_A new member of the Alphabet City avant-garde._

_Angel Dumott Schunard!_"

Mike and Sam chuckled, while the rest of the students watched. Kurt twirled around, before exclaiming, "Today for you, tomorrow for me!"

He broke out into song, dancing around, eyes twinkling. As he sang, he pretended to hand money to Mike and Sam.

"_Today for you, tomorrow for me,_

_today for you, tomorrow for me._"

Puck continued reading from the page, "And you should hear her beat!" Mike acted shocked at the 'money', "You earned this on the street?"

Kurt winked before continuing, "_It was my lucky day today on Avenue A,_

_When a lady in a limousine drove my way,_

_She said 'Dahling, be a dear, haven't slept for a year,_

_I need your help to make my neighbor's yappy dog disappear."_

He continued sashaying around the room, dancing on the small work desks,

"_This akita, Evita, just won't shut up_

_I believe if you play nonstop that pup_

_Will breathe its very last highstrung breath_

_I'm certain that cur will bark itself to death."_

Kurt ran hand over Mike's shoulder, smiling gleefully, actually enjoying himself. "_Today for you, tomorrow for me! Today for you, tomorrow for me!"_

All eyes were on him as he sauntered around Puck, Sam, and Mike.

"_We agreed on a fee, a thousand dollar guarantee,_

_Tax free! And a bonus if I trim her tree,"_

He pretended to cut Sam's hair with a pair of hedge clippers, laughing.

"_Now who could foretell that it would go so well?_

_But sure as I am here, that dog is now in doggy hell,"_

Kurt stepped up the piano bench carefully, and stood on the piano.

"_After an hour, Evita, in all her glory,_

_From the window ledge of that twenty third story,_

_Like Thelma and Louise did, when they got the blues,_

_Swan dove into the courtyard of the Gracie Mews."_

Kurt leaped off of the piano and landed gracefully, running a hand through his hair nonchalantly.

"_Today for you tomorrow for me, today for you tomorrow for me!"_

He snatched Finn's drumsticks and began drumming on every available surface, adding in a few dance moves and twirls. At the end of the sequence, he plopped onto Puck's lap.

"_Back on the street where I met my sweet,_

_Where he was moaning and groaning on the cold concrete."_

Kurt placed a sloppy kiss on the jock's cheek, shoulders shaking with repressed laughter. Puck looked mortified, and waved his hands in front of him, eyes wide.

"_The nurse took him home for some mercurochrome,_

_And I dressed his wounds and got him back on his feet, sing it!_

_Today for you, tomorrow for me!_

_Today for you, tomorrow for me!_

_I said, today for you, tomorrow for me!_

_Today for you, tomorrow... For me!"_

He ended the song with a twirl and a bow. The whole club erupted into applause, and Kurt smiled widely, looking pointedly at Puck. Will spoke up, "Wow, the bar's been set, I'm impressed."

The countertenor sat himself delicately next to Puck, "That's how you get into character."

The only thing Puck could think of was the kiss Kurt had given him.

…

I think I'll end the chapter here. Again let me know what you think. I'll probably start the next chapter before I go to bed. All comments welcome, flames will go to supply light for my very own Sue-O-Lantern.


	3. Reactions

Alrighty, you guys know how to make a guy's day, seriously. I am a bit ashamed to say I've only seen parts of the stage version, so I'm running on limited info and the movie. If any RENT fans want to help out, mainly with the songs and scenes where they're practicing the scenes, I'd be extremely thankful. I'm also going to be working on making the chapters longer, though I'm not making guarantees, because these things tend to stop where they want to.

...

Quinn scooted closer to Kurt, golden hair bobbing and swaying. She smiled as she dropped her voice to a low decibel and she murmured to him, "I'd have thought you'd have gone with the stage version."

Kurt froze slightly, and muttered something inaudible, his cheeks tinting red. Quinn leaned in, straining to hear, "What?"

"I said..." Kurt huffed, "I've never gotten to see the stage version." The countertenor ran a hand through his bangs and slumped slightly in his seat. Being in Lima, there wasn't a lot of opportunity to go and see musicals. The last Broadway show he'd seen was Shrek and that was at his cousin's request.

Rachel and Tina both looked at Kurt with interest, surprise coloring both girls' faces. The Jewish girl gaped, "I thought you'd seen it...You've seen so many other shows. You saw Wicked, I remember that."

Tina pulled out her phone and quickly connected to the internet. She scanned through a couple different sites before exclaiming, "Aha!" Everyone looked at her in confusion, wondering what she was so excited about. The goth elaborated, "Cleveland is doing a run of the show two weeks from now." She looked at Mr. Schuester. "Would we be allowed to do a field trip?"

Will shrugged. "We may have to do a fundraiser, but I don't see why not, I have to ask Principal Figgins though..."

The class erupted in squeals and cheers. Rachel and Tina began talking excitedly about seeing the show, Brittany, Santana, and Sam gave each other a three-way high five, Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn started practically bouncing in their seats, and though most of the guys remained relatively apathetic to it, Mike and Artie looked mildly excited. Puck was just glad that he'd get an opportunity to see what his character was like.

...

"I mean, these kids have been working their butts off, and this'll be both a reward for it, and to see the level of acting that the show requires."

"It actually sounds like a good idea."

"I'm not asking much, we'll even do our own fundraising-"

"Mr. Schuester, I said alright."

"Besides, some of the kids aren't sure how to act the parts, so this trip will also be helpful that w-"

"Will!" Principal Figgins interrupted. "I said it's fine. If you can you can raise enough money, New Directions can go to Cleveland." The Indian man stood and smiled at Will before turning stern. "Consider this an act of good faith. I think RENT is a good show, maybe a bit evocative, but a necessary lesson. Think of this chance as redemption for Rocky Horror."

Will bowed his head gratefully, and thanked the man profusely, "We won't let you down, sir."

Figgins sat back at his desk, waving a hand dismissively, "Alright, you're dismissed Mr. Schuester."

...

Finn and Rachel sidled down the hallways after class ended, the pair walking in amiable silence. Rachel smiled up at her boyfriend, "You don't mind that I'll have to kiss Quinn do you?" The question had been the only thing bothering her about playing Maureen.

"I don't mind." The jock answered enthusiatically, before reining himself in. "Sorry, that was too eager." He cleared his throat and twined his fingers between the smaller girl's, "I'm surprised you're as okay with it as you are."

"I have two fathers." The diva stated simply, "It's not like homosexuality is a big deal for me."

Finn shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing. Even though it was a while ago, Kurt still hadn't completely forgiven him for the basement incident. They were civil to one another, but the damage had been done. It would probably never be the same, all because he'd had to open his mouth. He hadn't told anyone, though he'd wanted to say something to Rachel. All he needed was Kurt to get mad at him and have his girlfriend find out in probably the worst possible way.

"Besides," She chirped, "Quinn will probably have more issue with it than I do." Finn hadn't thought about that. She was from a very Christian family. In her family's eyes, homosexuality was a sin of the deepest shame. "I'd be more worried about her."

Rachel smiled widely, "Anyways, Mr. Schue is going to want all of us to sing songs from the show. Kind of prove ourselves, especially after Kurt belting out Today For You. What are you gonna sing?"

"I don't know." Finn rubbed the back of his neck, "Probably Halloween or What You Own with Sam."

Rachel nodded. "Tina will probably want to do Over the Moon..." She shrugged. "I'll figure something out..."

The pair strolled out the doors and to Finn's car.

...

"Boy, your white ass is trippin'." Mercedes had such a way with words. "Kissing Puck like that? What were you thinking?" The dark-skinned girl tapped her foot and folded her arms over her ample bosom. "Well?"

Kurt flushed with embarrassment, "I was in character."

Quinn chuckled from his other side, "Clearly."

"Don't you antagonize me." Kurt snipped without venom, "He's charming in an odd roundabout way."

"Trust me, been there. Done that." The cheerleader gave her fellow Cheerio a pointed look, "Remember?" She smiled smugly at the slightly dumbfounded and bashful look on Kurt's face. She stood and twirled, the choir room having emptied long ago. Only she, Kurt, Mercedes, and an awfully quiet Sam remained. Quinn's face got serious, "Still, while I doubt he'd do anything, because frankly his type has breasts, be careful. Given the chance, he'll hurt you."

Mercedes nodded, "Not to mention, Santana breathing down your neck is not fun. At all." That hadn't been pleasant. Singing 'The Boy is Mine' was entertaining, but the following catfight was one for the recordbooks. "You really don't want to cross her."

Quinn agreed fervently, "And you having a catfight with her wouldn't work as well. She'd hit you, you'd flail back, and you'd get in trouble because you're a guy."

"Okay, duly noted. Avoid being any kind of intimate with Puck out of character." Kurt raised his hands defensively, and waved the girls down.

Sam smiled, "Do you like him?"

Kurt's shoulders tensed, but he gave no other clues, "I don't see how that's your business, Evans." Maybe he was slightly attracted to the jock. It was purely physical, not that the countertenor would admit it, because Puck's personality left a lot to be desired. Looks weren't the only thing Kurt was looking for in a guy. He was gay. That didn't mean he wasn't discerning.

"You _do_ like him, admit it."

"I'll admit it when you admit you're at least bisexual."

"Ain't gonna happen."

"Alright, then."

Quinn and Mercedes merely watched the interaction with thinly veiled hilarity, hoping Kurt knew what he was getting into.

...

Okay, looks like the chapter is ending here. Next chapter will have the rest of the characters. You know the drill with reviews...Your continued support means a lot.


	4. Out Tonight

Sorry for the delay. Weekend was hectic. Saw the Rocky Horror Show, the stage version. It was amazing. I saw more ass and penis in one evening, than I ever expected to see at once. Rocky was in a pink jockstrap. Instead of leather, Frankenfurter was drag queen that wore these elaborate gowns. Columbia had pink hair. The Time Warp sounded identical to the track, and these people were singing live. The Criminologist was awesome, she did the pre-show instructions. "Clap, bitches!" It was great. Okay, so I mention Mike singing Hot Patootie. This isn't a mistake, it's an assumption. Will had them put the show on for themselves, and Mike was Eddie. Assuming they did the whole show, he sang the song. Another note: This will focus on everyone for a little while, but will eventually shift to PucKurt, Brittana, and I'm thinking probably some Faberry.

...

Tina and Mike were in the library looking over their scripts. "So you don't mind that I'll be kissing Mercedes?"

Mike shrugged, "I don't mind, I mean, when I'm not playing Mark, I'm the gay guy in La Vie Boheme." Tina giggled. "It's not like we're actually the roles we're acting."

Tina had to admit that her boyfriend could really make a lot of sense when he wanted. She was proud of him for stepping up to the role of Mark. After their duet, the young asian man gained a lot of courage. His voice was really improving. Hot Patootie was awesome, and she'd voice that if asked. "What do you think you'll sing in glee?"

"I might sing the Tango Maureen with Mercedes."

"Nice. I'm thinking of doing Over the Moon..." Tina smiled widely at Mike. "Would you help me make some choreography?"

Mike nodded and stood, "Let's go to the auditorium, there's more room to work there."

Tina took his hand and allowed herself to led from the library.

...

"So, how do I play Mimi?" Brittany asked, blue eyes wide and attentive. Santana was helping her get into character. The blonde knew how to be sexy, but having Santana coach her, those delicate, but firm hands guiding her hips through the motions was nice.

Santana smiled, placing a kiss to the back of her fellow Cheerio's neck. "In the first act, you act sexy...Confident." She swiveled her hips, guiding Brittany to do the same. She slowed the sway, made it more gentle. "In the second act, Mimi is more frail. She's slowly dying." She patted the taller girl's butt. "Now, let's work on Out Tonight again." The latina sat cross-legged on her bed, pressing play on her CD player.

Brittany moved her hips in time with the music, having only a chair as a prop. She treated the song as a strip-tease, moving sensually with the beat.

"_What's the time?_

_Well, it's gotta be close to midnight._

_My body's talking to me,_

_It says 'Time for danger'._"

She ran a hand along her own thigh, sliding it down, before bringing it back up. Santana licked her lips a little.

"_It says 'I wanna commit a crime'._

_Wanna be the cause of a fight._

_I wanna put on a tight skirt, and flirt_

_With a stranger'._"

She bent over the chair, rolling her hips. Brittany kicked a leg over the chair and straddled it, resting her head on her arms, and staring at Santana with half-lidded eyes.

"_I've had a knack, from way back_

_Of breaking the rules once I've learned the game._

_Get up! Life's too quick, I know someplace sick,_

_Where this chick'll dance in the flames."_

She leaned back, blonde ponytail touching the floor. Her eyes slid shut, as she gyrated on the seat.

"_We don't need any money,_

_I always get in for free._

_You can get in too,_

_If you get in with me, Let's go!"_

She pressed the front of her body against the back of the chair, and tossed her hair, ponytail swinging around her head. She stood and kicked a leg up.

"_Out Tonight._

_I have to go Out Tonight._

_You wanna play?_

_Let's run away!_

_We won't be back before it's Christmas Day._

_Take me Out Tonight."_

Brittany sauntered around the bed, swiveling her hips.

"_When we get a wink from the doorman,_

_do you know how lucky you'll be,_

_that you're on line with the feline of Avenue B?_

_Let's go!_

_Out Tonight_

_I have to go Out Tonight._

_You wanna prowl?_

_Be my night owl!_

_Well take my hand we're gonna_

_Howl, Out Tonight"_

The blonde knelt in front of the bed, arms resting on Santana's thighs.

"_In the evening, I've got to roam_

_Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome._

_Feels too damn much like home_

_When the Spanish babies cry._

_So let's find a bar_

_So dark we forget who we are._

_And all the scars from the _

_Nevers and maybes die!_

_Let's go!"_

Brittany walked her hands up the sides of the latina's body, rolling her hips.

"_Out Tonight_

_Have to go Out Tonight!_

_You're sweet_

_Wanna hit the street?_

_Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?_

_Just take me Out Tonight."_

She crawled up onto the bed, perched on all fours, and sliding closer to her companion.

_"Please take me...Out Tonight_

_Don't forsake me. Out Tonight_

_I'll let you make me...Out Tonight_

_Out tonight."_

She placed a kiss on Santana's lips, and smiled serenely. Sitting back, she smoothed out her Cheerios uniform. "Well?"

Santana said nothing, though the gleam in her eyes was telling. With little warning, the latina tackled the taller friend, "That was hot."

...

Puck groaned internally. Love. Really? It wasn't a feeling he was well acquainted with. The closest thing to it was with Quinn, and he cared more about his daughter than her. Quinn was hot, but he wasn't extremely emotionally invested in her. Beth, yes. Quinn, no. And now, he had to act lovingly toward Kurt. Way easier said than done.

Everyone thought it had to do with kissing a guy, and maybe that was a little true, but not the reason he was freaked out. Puck knew he was a womanizer. He'd bedded people, just to prove he could. If challenged to do it, he'd probably do a guy, just to show he wouldn't back down. Ego was Puck's biggest problem. He was a stud and he knew it. In his words, "Puckzilla needs to be shared to be fully appreciated."

And of course, it didn't help that Kurt and Puck had a mutual dislike of each other. They were too different. Puck was a jock, Kurt was a performer. Puck tossed kids into dumpsters, Kurt was tossed into dumpsters. They had few bridges between them. Glee was probably the only one.

Still, Kurt may have been in character during his performance, but knowing the guy by now, it seemed rather out of the blue, especially for a demonstration. That kiss was plaguing his thoughts. The soft lips pressed against his cheek. Puck touched the spot where Kurt's lips had been. With a jolt, the jock heard the train of thought 'I liked it' slide through his mind.

"What am I getting myself into?"

...

I think I'll end this here. Puck has been further explained and we're building up. Now, I'm sorry this took so long. This chapter was tough to start. Once I got to the Brittana, it was easier to knock out.


	5. You'll See

Alrighty, I have seen the latest episode, and now I know how I want this to proceed. I want this to be somewhat of a continuity-nod fic. So, this will now have mentions of Blaine, Karofsky, and Beiste. I have decided Blaine's role in the story, and he will be in the story, you'll have to read to find out how I implement him. This story will have spoilers for the show from now on, so be warned.

Side note: Great episode, no? Serious twists, cute moments, and probably a wall banger moment here and there. Feel free to fangasm/fanrant a bit in your review.

Without anything further, let's start.

...

Blaine smiled when his protégé strolled into the small café. They'd been meeting and chatting since they met a week ago. Kurt was smiling a little, an improvement over the last time he'd seen the countertenor. Kurt sat daintily on one of the small chairs, taking a sip of his latte and crossing his legs. "So, you're doing RENT?" Blaine dove right in. "And you're playing Angel."

Kurt nodded, taking another sip.

"Didn't you say you turned down Frank N. Furter because he was a cross-dresser?"

"This is different." The younger teen laughed. "Mr. Schue offered me Frank solely because I'm gay. I mean, why wouldn't I be comfortable in drag, right?" He shook his head at his own comment. "No, this time he actually made a compelling argument. It made sense, so I did it."

Blaine nodded and the pair lapsed into a comfortable silence. It was a few minutes before the Head Warbler spoke up again, "Has that jock given you any more trouble?" He distinctly remembered that particular story. It wasn't everyday that you heard tales of a closeted jock kissing the resident gay. The resulting confrontation resolved nothing, and really they were back where they started in regards to the bullying.

"Karofsky's still a Neanderthal, and him thinking we're going to out him is making him worse." Kurt groaned. He lifted the side of his shirt to show a bruise just below his ribcage. "He cornered me after school three days ago." He noticed Blaine's eyes darken, and he hastily changed the subject. "So, anyway, New Directions is going to Cleveland in two weeks."

"For what?"

Kurt smiled. "Going to see RENT." He chortled at the dumbfounded, slightly jealous look Blaine shot him, "Mr. Schuester thinks that it'll be a good way to see our characters in action."

Blaine's phone went off. The singer mouthed, 'Just a minute.' "Hello?" His face fell and he stood. "Alright..." He hung up and smiled wearily at Kurt, "Apparently the guys want to have another rehearsal...I'll talk to you later."

"See ya, Blaine." Kurt smiled when the black-haired teen waved back.

...

"You're really making a fuss over this?" Rachel asked incredulously. "I didn't think it was that big a deal." All it was was playing a gay guy. In one scene, maybe two tops. In Life Support, he sings about having AIDS. In La Vie Boheme, he takes orders and rolls his hips once. Nothing major. "You've worn a Lady Gaga dress before, but this is where you draw the line?"

Finn flinched, he should have known Rachel would blow a gasket, but he couldn't help his thoughts. It wasn't something he was comfortable doing. He stared at Rachel's tapping foot, feeling his irritation grow with each tap. "Yes, I just..." Tap. Tap. Tap. "I..." Tap. Tap. Tap. "Yes, fine! I don't want to play a fa-" He stopped himself, but the damage had been done. He saw Rachel's face, the shock freezing the usually warm brown eyes.

The diva's breath came in short shuddering bursts, still not fully believing what she heard. "Were you about to say what I think you were about to say?" The nerve, Finn using that word. Did he expect her to not care? She had two fathers, of course she would care.

"I..." It stung on two fronts, Rachel was mad at him, and Kurt was right. He was, at the very least, latently homophobic. "I'm sorry."

Rachel shook her head. "I can't." Chocolate eyes teared up, and she looked away, "I can't stay with you. Leave."

Finn froze, he didn't dare make a sound. Did she really mean?

"We're through." She made a show of flipping through her script, a clue Finn took to mean 'get out'. He gaped at her, not wanting to move.

"But Rachel, I..."

"No, I thought you were better than that. Puck, I'd expect that out of. But you?" Rachel shook her head, brown hair splaying out. "When you joined glee, I thought you changed. There were no more slushies from you, no more dumpster dives. You were even nicer to Kurt." She stopped. "Have you ever said that word to _him_?"

Finn didn't say anything; he'd never told her about his outburst last year. He sighed and lowered his gaze to the floor. He really had aimed the word at the furnishings, but by extension it was aimed at Kurt himself as well.

Rachel took the silence as a yes. "That's what I thought." And with that she turned away from him again.

...

Artie was at the front of the class, motioning for Kurt, Puck, Finn, and Sam to join him. He was going to sing 'You'll See Boys'. The four set about acting like they were doing things while Artie started. "_Joy to the world, the..._Hey! You bum! Yeah, you, move over! Get your ass off the Range Rover!"

Finn spoke up, "That attitude toward the homeless is exactly what Maureen is protesting." Rachel rolled her eyes up in the risers. "Close up: Our ex-roommate, Benjamin Coffin the Third, who married Allison Grey of the Westport Greys, then bought our building and the lot next door from his father-in-law in hopes of starting a cyber studio."

"_Maureen is protesting losing her performance space._ Not my attitude." Artie chuckled.

Sam stood and poked a finger in Artie's chest. "_What happened to Benny? What happened to his heart, and the ideals he once pursued?"_

Artie laughed, but continued, "_The owner of that lot next door has the right to do with it as he pleases."_

"_Happy Birthday, Jesus."_ Puck sang dryly, while Artie tapped Finn's leg and asked for the rent.

"You're wasting your time." The quarterback protested. "We're broke, and you broke your word. This is absurd."

Artie held out his hands placatingly, and sang, "_There's one way that you won't have to pay."_

Sam scoffed, "I knew it."

"_Next door the home of CyberArts, you see," _Artie tried reasoning, "_and now that the block is re-zoned, our dream can become a reality. You'll see boys!" _He rolled around toward Puck, who strolled to the back. Then he rolled over to Sam, who waved his arm in a shooing manner and walked away. Artie then pretended to lift Kurt's non-existant skirt. Kurt swatted his hand away and scurried over to Puck. "A state of the art, digital, virtual, interactive studio. I'll forego your rent, _ and on paper guarantee that you can stay here for free._ IF you do me one small favor."

"What?" Finn asked, guarded.

"Convince Maureen to cancel her protest."

Finn stood, "Why not just get an injuction or call the cops?"

"I did, they're on stand by, but _my investors would rather I handle this quietly."_ Artie laughed, playing up Benny's glee.

Sam looked outraged, "You can't just quietly wipe out an entire tent city, then watch It's a Wonderful Life on TV!"

"_You want to produce film and write songs? You need somewhere to do it. It what we used to dream about; think twice before you poo-poo it_." Artie crowed. "_You'll see boys! You'll see boys! You'll see the beauty of a studio that lets us do our work and get paid. With condos on top, whose rent keeps open our shop, just stop the protest and you'll have it made! You'll see_. Or you'll pack." He wheeled himself out of the performing area so that the others could finish the song.

Kurt spoke up. "That boy could use some Prozac."

"Or heavy drugs," added Sam.

"Or group hugs!" Finn smiled.

Puck hopped into the conversation, "Which reminds me, we have a detour to make tonight." He stared pointedly at Sam. "Anyone that wants to can come along."

Kurt smiled warmly at the blonde, "Life Support's a group for people coping with life. You won't have to stay long."

Finn jumped up, "_First, I've got a protest to save._"

Sam shook his head, "I'm not much company, you'll find."

"Behave." Finn shot Sam a flat look.

Kurt smiled, and patted Sam's shoulder. "He'll catch up later. He's just got a lot of things on his mind. _You'll see boys!_"

Finn and Puck joined in, "_We'll see boys_."

Sam stood, irritation flowing out of every pore. "_Let it be, boys._"

"_I like boys._" Puck offered his hand to Kurt with a smile.

Kurt took it and laughed. "_Boys like me._"

They all finished with a, "_We'll see._"

Everyone clapped and cheered, another great performance finished. A knock at the door interrupted. "Good job guys," Will smiled before opening the door. Sue was there.

"Hello, Will. I'd like to have a word with you about your production."

...

BUM BUM BUM. Sue makes her appearance, probably rather unsurpringly like in RHGS. Sorry this took so long. I wanted to wait until the next episode aired to write it. I still feel a little bad. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. I'm not overly fond of it.

BTW, I know Finn seems like a bad guy right now, but he won't stay that way. I have the final pairings figured out, and that scene had to happen to lay the groundwork. Blaine is just acting as Kurt's mentor, and he will have a couple more scenes. Don't worry, this is still a PucKurt.


	6. I'll Cover You

**After trying to beat my muse into submission, I've decided to write this as it comes to me. Sorry for the wait. This chapter, for whatever reason, did not want to be written.**

**Side note: One of the scenes in this chapter runs on the assumption that if the song has appeared in full in the fic, they've performed it for the Glee Club.**

...

"What do you want this time Sue?" Will asked, resignation evident in his voice. He knew Sue was going to try to sabotage the production. Again. "You're not going to be a part of this, Sue. Not after last time."

"Now, Will," Sue tried her 'reasonable' voice. "These are subjects that are too major for students to be dealing with. Our students shouldn't be subjected to it." Cha-ching. Score one for Sylvester. Another morale smack to the Gleeks.

The Spanish teacher looked highly unimpressed. "Except most students already are. There are plenty of students doing drugs. I highly doubt Kurt is the only homosexual student, and while AIDS isn't prevalent in high school, promoting awareness can only be a good thing." One-Zero to Will.

'Okay, that didn't work.' Sue huffed mentally. She tried another tack. "You can't use the school auditorium for it. Parents won't be pleased that their money will be supporting this." 'All tied up! Take that Fozzy Bear.'

"Except that the auditorium hasn't belonged to the school since last year." Will dryly pointed out. "April Rhodes bought it, then gave ownership of it over to the Glee Club. April Rhodes Civil Pavilion?" 'Okay, he's good. 2-0 to Will.'

Sue made like she was going to stomp off to Figgins' office. 2-2. It deserved two points. "You won't get away with this, Will." If there was one person Sue knew she could manipulate into cancelling this show, it was...

"Figgins already okayed it." Will called after her. "I went to him yesterday." Will, 4; Sue, 0.

"I want that local Emmy, Will!"

"Sure, sure." And with that he returned to the choir room.

...

And then he got sick. The one rehearsal without a teacher nearly ended with Rachel curbstomped on the stage, Kurt narrowly avoided being hoisted to the ceiling by the curtain, and Mercedes and Tina almost got black eyes from each other before Mike and Artie convinced them to cool it. Rachel sang her version of Over the Moon to tepid applause, which caused her to question everyone else's talent. That in turn caused an already irate Santana to storm the stage before Quinn and Brittany could stop her and she had to be carried away over Puck's shoulder.

Needless to say, pretty much everyone was relieved when Holly took over for Will. The substitute managed to keep everyone cool and focused. Holly called everyone's attention and had them settle into the seats. "Now, what songs and people have gotten the spotlight?"

Kurt, Brittany, and Artie raised their hands. "Let me guess. Today 4 U, Out Tonight, and You'll See?" Holly smirked when all three nodded. "Thought so. Time to step away from the solos for now. We'll be doing three duets. Roger and Mimi's Light My Candle, Mark and Joanne's Tango Maureen, and Angel and Collins's I'll Cover You. So, Santana and Sam, Quinn and Finn, and Kurt and Puck."

Santana and Sam looked excited, much to Quinn's displeasure. Finn looked irritated and ready to take jabs at Rachel's character, and Puck and Kurt looked terrified. "Everyone get into costume, I want to see you completely in character. We meet in the auditorium in fifteen."

...

"This is a problem, Puck." Kurt snapped as he fixed his wig. "We've barely practiced this." He applied some of Angel's make-up, leaving it half finished before whirling around to face the jock. The look was comical, and were it not for how serious Kurt was, Puck would have laughed. "Look, I know you're not comfortable with the kiss yet." His blue eyes turned toward the floor. "Let's just wing it. If all else fails, we'll explain to Miss Holiday that we weren't for that part."

"I..." Puck tried to explain, but Kurt cut him off.

"It's okay. I can't blame you for the discomfort. It's not everyday that you have to kiss a gay guy in front of a crowd of people." Kurt smiled, a touch of hurt making his smile look sad. "We'll just go out and perform the hell out of that song, and what happens happens, okay?"

Puck nodded, but didn't say anything else.

Kurt patted his cheek and they set about practicing.

...

When the two returned, Santana and Sam were well into their song. The latina was bent down on the floor rolling her rear at Sam and asking if he thought she had "the best ass below fourteenth street". Of course, he responded more enthusiatically than he intended, remembering Quinn and reeling it in. The pair continued flirting and dancing around each other, Sam quite obviously enjoying Santana's attention.

Quinn was fuming. Sam was always talking about how much he liked her, and she thought that after the Beiste debacle, things would be back to normal. Now he was enjoying Santana's performance too much to be merely acting, and frankly Quinn had had enough.

Their song ended with Santana groping Sam's rear as she pulled out the prop dime bag. The blonde cheerleader saw red. "Come on, Finn." She snatched the tall teen's hand and dragged him up to the stage. She took her place on stage right, next to the microphone, telephone, and amplifier. Finn stood on stage left with his camera. The music started and Quinn set about pretending to try to figure out what was wrong with the equipment. Finn started across the stage, "_And so into the abyss._ The lot where a small stage is partially set up."

"Line in." Quinn sounded frustrated, as though the microphone was on the fritz. "I went to Harvard for this?"

Finn held the camera in front of his face, "Close on Mark's nosedive. _Will he get out of here alive?_"

Quinn glanced up at him, "Mark? _I told her not to call you._"

"_That's Maureen, but can I help since I'm here?_"

The blonde moved to stand between Finn and the speaker. "I've hired an engineer."

"Great! Well..." Finn moved to leave.

"Wait!" Quinn groaned, "She's three hours late." And with that she conceded and let him check out the equipment. She stood over him as he pretended to fix the problem, "_The samples won't delay, but the cable..._"

"_There's another way."_ Finn held up a hand to calm her down. "Say something, anything."

The blonde stepped up to the mike, "_Test one, two, three._"

The jock groaned, "_Anything but that._"

"_This is weird._"

"_It's weird._"

"_Very weird._"

"_Fucking weird._" Finn tried to ignore Holly's reproachful look, but otherwise kept acting.

"_I'm so mad that I don't know what to do._" Quinn reached up and pulled at her hair and coat. She gesticulated wildly, pointing at the microphone and hugging her arms. "_Fighting with microphones, freezing down to my bones, and to top it all off, I'm with you._" She flung her arm in Finn's direction.

"_Feel like going insane, got a fire in your brain, and you're thinking of drinking gasoline._" Finn couldn't resist acting giddy. He knew he should feel guilty for equating Rachel to Maureen, especially since the song was talking about Maureen's sexual promiscuity, but it felt good to take potshots. If Quinn's reaction to the Samtana duet was any indication, she was doing the same to Sam in her mind, which was arguably more fair.

"_As a matter of fact._"

"_Honey, I know this act. It's called the Tango Maureen._" Finn snapped to a position that looked like he was miming castanets. He shimmied toward Quinn, who backed away looking perturbed. The reaction drew a small laugh from the crowd, and it emboldened the two to perform bigger.

...

When the song finished, Finn and Quinn sat down out of breath. Sam when to sit next to his girlfriend, but she stood and went to sit next to Tina and Mike. The blond jock looked highly confused and a touch hurt. Quinn tried to ignore it, but ended up sitting there, slightly uncomfortable.

Kurt and Puck took the stage, skipping past Mark's dialogue. The countertenor looked nigh unrecognizable with his black wig, heavy make-up, and even more feminine outfit. He tapped Puck shoulder, bouncing on his toes slightly. "Alone at last."

Puck pointed at stage right, looking playfully scared, "He'll be back, I guarantee it." He quickly moved upstage.

Kurt laughed softly, swaying almost self-consciously. He smiled shyly, looking back at Puck, "I've been hearing violins all night."

"Anything to do with me?" The jock teased, holding Kurt's pickle tub. He gestured between them, "Are we a thing?"

"Darling," Kurt snatched the tub, setting it aside, before looking back to Puck and smiling, "we're everything." He twined his hand with Puck, and they strolled toward the front of the stage. "_Live in my house, I'll be your shelter. Just pay me back with one thousand kisses._" Kurt touched Puck's face, marvelling when he didn't tense. He was a decent actor, no doubt. "_Be my lover, and I'll cover you._"

Puck smiled, "_Open your door, I'll be your tenant. Don't got much baggage to lay at your feet._" He grasped Kurt other hand, and squeezed them. "_But sweet kisses I've got to spare, I'll be there and I'll cover you._"

The pair strolled further out, swinging their joined hands. They occasionally stole a shy glance while they sang. "_I think they meant it, when they said you can't buy love. Now I know you can rent it; a new lease you are, my love, on life. Be my life!_" They began dancing in a circle, laughing.

Puck twirled Kurt under his arm, "Where are you taking me, girl?"

"Anywhere you want to go, whee!" Kurt squealed as they spun around. He reached up to hold his wig down, "Hold on, my wig." That made the others laugh, and Puck loosened up, if possible, even more.

They finished their dance with Kurt in front of Puck, and the pair swaying with the jock arms around him. "_Just put me on, I'll be your blanket. Wherever, whatever, I'll be your coat._"

"_You be my king, and I'll be your castle._" Kurt grinned broadly, tapping the top of Puck head as if coronating him.

Puck smiled back, "_You be my queen, and I'll be your moat._" The gleeks in the audience were starting to see something, and they were also becoming aware that Kurt and Puck weren't seeing it. Even Finn, who many would argue was the least attentive, noticed. They were smitten. Kurt and Puck sang the bridge again, Puck lifting the countertenor up onto the table before climbing up himself.

They swayed contently, looking more and more serious about being in love, rather than just acting. "_I've longed to discover something as true as this is._"

"_So with a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you._" Puck sang as Kurt responded with, "_If you're cold and you're lonely_."

"_With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you._"

"_You get one nickel only._"

They swapped parts, Kurt singing, "_With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you._"

"_If you're worn out and tired._"

"_With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you._"

"_If your heart has expired._"

The pair sang in harmony, dancing around like earlier in the song. "_Oh, lover, I'll cover you. Yeah, oh, lover, I'll cover you._" They finished face to face, and when Kurt went to turn away, Puck gently grabbed his face and tenderly placed a kiss on Kurt's lips. The countertenor's eyes widened in shock, before he slid them shut, melting into Puck's embrace.

The wild applause from the audience brought them hurdling back to real life. Kurt blushed, while Puck looked oddly happy.

...

**Woo, finally. Those of you who stuck around, thank you for being patient. This chapter was a bitch to write.. I finally whipped it into shape. I do need to tell you guys that I'm taking a breather from this until just after Christmas. I need to really lay out the rest of the storyline. I got them to the kiss, but I don't want to paint myself into a corner, so to speak.**


End file.
